Tags

Mustafa Bali, Director of the Syrian Democratic Forces’ (SDF) Media Centre, on Monday denied reports that the Raqqa battle was paused or halted.

“The fight is now taking place in six neighborhoods. Today’s clashes led to the breaking of the [defense] line of the organization’s (ISIS) defenses in the Hisham bin Abdulmalik neighborhood south of the city and the northwest of the city,” he said.

“In the morning, the fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) liberated the officers’ homes in the district of Nazlah Shehadeh completely, amid fierce clashes that broke out between them and between Daesh (ISIS) mercenaries,” he added.

At least 35 ISIS fighters were killed in the battle, with the SDF holding the bodies of ISIS fighters. Moreover, the SDF destroyed a car bomb, and seized a number of weapons and ammunition in the operation.

The Kurdistan24 channel reported that the SDF slowed down the fight on one front, and halted clashes on other fronts.

“The operations against ISIS have stopped since last week in some parts of the city, but we are preparing for a greater battle once we resume fighting,” Kendal, an SDF fighter, told Kurdistan 24.

However, according to leading SDF officials the battle is ongoing, and the SDF has retaken 45 per cent of Raqqa city so far.